


Not Long

by ScottieIsImpatient



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Episode: s03e20 The Forgotten, Flashbacks, Light Angst, Section 31 (Star Trek), dont mind any discrepancies, heat exhaustion, im running on 3 hours sleep, s3ep20, shoddy title
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:46:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23822539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScottieIsImpatient/pseuds/ScottieIsImpatient
Summary: Some missing scenes from the episode "The Forgotten" - occurs between the moment Malcolm passes out from heat exhaustion up until just before he returns to the bridge.(Don't mind the awful title I am very uncreative when it comes to naming things)
Relationships: Malcolm Reed & Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Comments: 14
Kudos: 42





	Not Long

**Author's Note:**

> Felt like writing this after watching the episode. The mentions of Section 31 were practically required. Who doesn't love it when Reed's past comes to haunt him?
> 
> Disclaimer: do I even need to say it.

The world was spinning, and it couldn’t afford to be. Not when the stakes were so high.

 _Get a grip, Malcolm,_ he hissed in his mind. _It won’t be long. Not long._

It felt like an eternity had passed since he’d donned the E.V suit and went to assist Trip. Just how much damage had the ship taken?

Reed found himself slipping away again and shook himself back into reality. Trip was saying something, but the heat from the fire was frying his communications.

And him.

“Inside… can finish…”

Trip was urging him back inside the ship. _No_ way _am I leaving you out here alone,_ Reed thought. Out loud he said, “there’s no time!”

His body was beginning to feel heavy. It felt like tons of lead had been strung to his arms and legs, weighing him down. He was drenched in sweat; his hair plastered to his forehead. Worst of all, he was starting to feel faint.

“Okay, Malcolm,” Trip said from somewhere far away. “Clockwise ninety degrees.”

 _Clockwise ninety degrees,_ he repeated in his mind. _Clockwise… ninety…_

His arms begged for rest. His mind begged for water. Reed wasn’t going to give in. _Just a little bit more… it won’t be long…_

The valve was closed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the fire dissipate, along with the last of his strength. Reed closed his eyes and let the wrench float away. The world followed suit.

A fuzzy memory invaded his mind. Reed was a young ensign, no more than twenty years old. He lay on a cool concrete floor with blood trickling down his face and hunger clawing in his belly. Two men, dressed entirely in black, loomed above him. He knew these men. But from where?

One of them grabbed the front of his shirt and hauled him to the feet. Though their faces were inches apart, Reed couldn’t see his features.

“If you give up now,” the man hissed, “just what will they think of you?”

Unceremoniously, Reed was thrown back down the ground. The men took their leave through an iron door, a loud _click_ indicating it had been locked.

Ensign Reed stood with shaking legs, making it two steps before collapsing against the far wall. His stomach growled like an angry lion. How long had it been? Five, maybe six days? He could go longer than this. He…

Someone tugged at his arm, interrupting his train of thought. They were back already? Had he been drifting away again?

However, when he glanced up it wasn’t the shadowed men who stood over him. It was Commander Tucker.

 _What are you doing here?_ Reed wanted to ask, but his throat was too dry. He couldn’t even squeak.

“Easy, Malcolm,” the Commander said, slinging Reed’s arm around the back of his neck. “Let’s get ya t’ the airlock. Damn, am I glad we’re at least doin’ this in zero G. As small as ya are, I don’t think I could haul yer ass all this way in normal gravity. E.V suits makin’ it hard enough.”

Reed barely managed to catch half of the words. Even then, they sounded more like gibberish than anything. He knit his eyebrows together in confusion. “…what?”

On some plane of consciousness, Reed sensed Trip shaking his head. “Forget it.”

While Trip helped him, (no, more like carried him) across the saucer, Reed’s delirious mind was still trying to comprehend what was going on. He remembered a fire. He remembered faceless men. He remembered hunger.

But what was Trip doing here? Trip wasn’t a part of the Section. Not to Reed’s knowledge, at least. And why did they cut his training short?

“I’m gunna have t’ set ya down right about here for a split sec, Lieutenant.” Trip carefully slipped Reed’s arm back around and stood up. “Cap’n, Phlox, ya’ll standing by in there?”

Reed lost his grip on consciousness before he heard the answer.

Familiar voices pulled him back, but no matter how hard he strained, he couldn’t fathom what they were saying.

Reed slowly opened one eye then immediately shut it again. The light was far too bright. It gave him a headache.

God, it felt like someone had taken a hammer to his skull.

He became aware that he was sitting up, though not by his own strength. One pair of hands was cupped under his left arm; another on his right shoulder.

And someone else was taking off his clothes.

“What the blazes?” he tried to mutter. What came out was nothing more than a groan. Weakly, he tried to kick whoever it was away. _Damn if I’m going to let my dignity be stripped away like this._

“We need to get his body temperature down,” someone said. “Let’s get him to sickbay.”

That voice. Reed trusted that voice. He couldn’t imagine where he’d heard it, but he knew that its owner was of good intentions.

He was lifted to his feet and half-carried half-dragged forward. Every step he took was sluggish and heavy, like there were weights tied around his ankles.

 _I’ve though that before,_ Reed suddenly realized. _But where? When?_

“It’s going to be alright, Lieutenant,” the same familiar voice said. There was a hint of panic beneath that calm tone. “We’ll get you all fixed up in no time. I’m sure you’re anxious to get back to your post.”

His post. What was his post?

He took a risk and opened his eyes. Much to his surprise, he found that he’d _not_ been stripped of his dignity and was still wearing a simple black t-shirt and pants.

 _E.V suit,_ he thought. Then, _where did I hear that?_

A door slid open and a piercing white light flooded in. Reed squirmed and ducked his head away, trying to convince his arm to raise itself. It wouldn’t listen. In fact, nothing would listen.

Exhaustion swept over him as he was gently laid onto his back. Something pricked the side of his neck.

The last thing he heard was Dr. Phlox’s voice saying, “turn off those lights!” Reed didn’t even have time to wonder how he knew the doctor’s name.

Reed awoke in a strangely dim sickbay with a cold towel on his forehead and a migraine splitting his skull open. Bits and pieces of his memories came flooding back but there were still good chunks of them missing. For one, how the hell did he get from the saucer to sickbay?

He pulled the towel off his forehead and propped himself up. “Hello?”

Much to his surprise, what came out sounded more like a frog’s croak. Reed shut his mouth quickly, hoping no one had heard.

He didn’t keep it shut for long.

“Oh, dear,” Dr. Phlox exclaimed as he trotted into sickbay, where the lieutenant was leaning over the side of the bed, heaving up the last of his breakfast. “Sorry,” Reed gasped out, leaning back. Dr. Phlox just smiled and shook his head. “No need to worry yourself. That’s my fault for, uh, not putting a bucket beside your bed for when you awoke, hm?”

Reed nodded absentmindedly.

“Besides,” the doctor went on, typing rapidly onto his PADD, “I’m sure my slugs would be grateful for the extra supper.”

Reed screwed his eyes shut and concentrated on not throwing up a second time.

“Would you like some water?” Phlox asked. The lieutenant’s eyes snapped open. _Water!_ His mind exclaimed. _Beautiful, crystal clear water!_

“Yeah, sure.”

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, Dr. Phlox had filled up half a dozen small cups and refused to give the lieutenant more than one at a time. “I don’t want you choking or going into shock,” he warned. Reed did his best to gather his composure and act in a civilized manner.

Once his tongue no longer felt like a desert, he began asking the same old questions the doctor had heard countless times.

“What happened?”

Phlox shrugged and smiled. “I was wondering if you had been lucid enough to remember. Apparently, my suspicions were correct.”

Reed blinked. “I was awake?”

“Oh, barely. Anyway, after you and Commander Tucker stop the plasma leak, you passed out from heat exhaustion. The Commander hauled you halfway across the saucer and into the airlock, where we eventually got you out of your E.V suit and into sickbay.”

Reed finished the last of the water and nodded. The headache was beginning to subside. “And how long was I… out?”

“Well, you’ll be pleased to know that it has been exactly twenty-four minutes and thirty seconds since we first brought you in here.” Phlox grinned broadly. “Fortunately, heat exhaustion is easily treatable. I’ll be clearing you for work in no later than, oh, an hour maybe.”

Reed looked at him incredulously. “You’re joking.”

“It’s true,” the doctor insisted. “Drink your water and get some rest for a bit, Lieutenant. I’ve got to give my report to the Captain. Would you like me to dim the lights?”

Reed hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “I’m feeling better already.”

“Good,” Dr. Phlox said and headed for the door. Just before he got there, he stopped and turned around. “Commander Tucker was rather worried about you. May I suggest he be the first one you approach?”

“Of course, Doctor.” Reed was grinning.


End file.
